Browse Items (105 total)

Leon Fenhaus, Barb Lee, and Ed Lee's recollections of the 1972 Black Hills Flood. Recorded at Rapid City Public Library during the 50th Anniversary event.

Their flood story is one of life-changing loss. They have traveled the world to help others cope with grief & loss.

Laura was 13 when she and her family came to visit Mt. Rushmore while on vacation from Arcola, VA. It had been two weeks since the Flood and was a rainy cold week. A Park Ranger told them because of road closures it was 116 miles from Mt. Rushmore to…

Dr. Lytle was president of the city council at the time of the Flood. He was alderman for Ward 3 which received major devastation and suffered many casualties. Mr. Lytle aided in setting up a reconnaissance center at the Meadowbrook School and…

Kurt Lentz's recollection of the 1972 flood. Recorded during the 50th Anniversary event at Rapid City Public Library.

The Flood overtook their rented cabin. Kim was swept downstream - he recounts his efforts to return to the cabin and his wife.

Kevin and his father helped others the evening of the Flood. Their family lost their two-story white home that evening. After numerous moves in various trailers they were finally able to settle again in a home in Rapid Valley where his mother still…

Keith Johnson's recollection of the 1972 Black Hills Flood. Recorded on June 15, 2022.

Joyce lived with her husband, Jim, and their two children ages four and seven on Riverdale Drive. They spent the evening of June 9 in their vehicle after evacuating their home. The next day they walked to where their home was located only to find it…

Jody Severson arrived in Rapid City Wednesday after the Flood and stayed the summer as staff aide to then U.S. Congressman, Jim Abourezk. Jody was 23 at the time and instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Urban Renewal Project and put together…

JoAnn, her Mother and Father and the Collins family of five spent the evening of the Flood on the roof of their business, Black Hills Egg Producers. Friday was normally a distribution day for the business and the coolers were full of thousands of…

Jack Getz was a Rapid City Journal reporter; he and Joan, his wife, lived within a block of Rapid Creek.

Jim moved with his wife and two young children to Rapid City one week before the Flood. The family had always wanted to live by a creek and searched for three days but could not find anything for sale. They are not sure why they finally settled and…

Jerry Muldoon's recollection of the 1972 flood. Recorded during the 50th Anniversary event at Rapid City Public Library.

Jerome Wright was instrumental in a number of rescues, including a mother and baby, and also volunteered for weeks after the flood.

Jerl's girlfriend, now wife, lost many items in the flood. Having been in both the Deadwood fire and the Rapid City flood they have since decided they are fine living in town near a fire hydrant and away from water.

Jay Harris' recollection of the 1972 flood. Recorded during the 50th Anniversary event at Rapid City Public Library.

Jane worked side by side with her mother to clean the hands, feet and faces of flood victims in order for family members to identify their loved ones. Her aunt and uncle owned the Keystone Post Office which was flood damaged. Jane helped them with…

James Kuehn, Vice President and Editor of the Rapid City Journal at the time of the flood in 1972, tells his story of that night and the efforts of the Rapid City Journal for the weeks following the tragedy.